Emma Raducanu appears fourth on highest-paid female athletes from Forbes despite hardly playing in 2023

According to the latest Forbes ranking, Emma Raducanu ended the year as the fourth highest-paid female athlete, despite participating in only 5 tournaments and achieving a 5-5 record in 2023. Since her 2021 US Open title, Raducanu faced persistent injuries, leading her to undergo wrist surgeries and an extended 9-month recovery period.

Forbes reports Raducanu's earnings at $15.2 million, contrasting with Sportico's list from a few weeks ago, which placed the British player at $16.2 million for the year. The 21-year-old rising star still retains the fourth position in the ranking and is the third-highest-earning tennis player, trailing only Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff.

Raducanu was also one of the three tennis players with the highest off-court earnings, alongside Coco Gauff. Raducanu earned $237,627 on the court, with an additional $15 million from sponsors and endorsements, constituting 93.5% of her total earnings. In the same position is Coco Gauff, who earned $6.7 million in prize money, with an estimated $15 million off the court.

Interestingly, Naomi Osaka also had off-court earnings of $15 million, as she did not participate in any tournaments during the year. The former world No. 1 had been the highest-paid female athlete in recent years and relinquished some positions after a season off the court due to her pregnancy.

1. Iga Swiatek (Poland) Tennis – $23.9m

2. Eileen Gu (China) Freestyle Skiing – $22.1m

3. Coco Gauff (United States) Tennis – $21.7m

4. Emma Raducanu (Great Britain) Tennis – $15.2m

5. Naomi Osaka (Japan) Tennis – $15m

6. Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus) Tennis – $14.7m

7. Jessica Pegula (United States) Tennis – $12.5m

8. Venus Williams (United States) Tennis – $12.2m

9. Elena Rybakina (Kazakhstan) Tennis – $9.5m

10. Leylah Fernandez (Canada) Tennis – $8.8m

Raducanu will make her return to the tour at the WTA 250 Auckland Open, where she has received a wild card. The tournament is scheduled to take place from January 1 to 7 and serves as a warm-up for the Australian Open, although Raducanu's participation in the latter is yet to be confirmed. The British player is awaiting a wild card from the organizers, as her current world No. 298 ranking does not grant her direct entry into the qualifying rounds.

Nevertheless, securing the invitation shouldn't pose a challenge, considering that other stars who might have sought wild cards, such as Osaka and Angelique Kerber, have entered with protected rankings, and Venus Williams has ruled out her participation. At the moment, the only player with a confirmed wild card is the 2018 Australian Open champion Caroline Wozniacki, but it's highly likely that Raducanu will be included in the main draw.